Rug-making machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. RICE.

RUG MAKING MAGHINE.

No. 595,113. Patented De0.7, 1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

0. RICE. RUG MAKING MACHINE.

No. 595,113. Patented Dec. 7, 1897.

UNTTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER RICE, OF EAST OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

RUG-MAKING MACHINE.

i SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,113, datedDecember 7, 1897.

Application filed November 19, 1896- Serlal No. 612,690. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLIVER RICE, a citizen of the United States,residingat East Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have inventedan Improvement in Rug-Making Machines; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is especially designed forthe manufacture of rugs in which threads or yarns are formed in loopsupon a canvas or flexible foundation.

My invention consists in certain details of construction, which will bemore fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a general view of my machine. -Fig. 2 is a view of thecentral part of the table and its connections, a portion of it beingbroken away to show the feed mechanism. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the looper and connections, showing the stitch completed. Fig. 4is a diagrammatic view of a finished portion of the rug.

In the operation of my machine the canvas or flexible foundation A issecured in a clamp I3, which is slidable in a groove or guide 0 in thetop of a table or support D. Secured to the front edge of this table isa supporting frame or yoke E, the rear end of which is connected with alooper-guide G, within which the looper H is slidable to and from theclamp I3. The looper is moved forward by a connecting-rod I, pivoted toits rear end and having its opposite end connected with one arm of abell-crank lever J, which is fulcrumed near the front end of the frameor yoke E. The other arm of the bell-crank lever is connected by a rod Kwith a treadle L, centrally fulcrumed, as shown at M. Vhen this treadleis depressed by the foot of the operator, the action of the arm and bellcrank lever .I will be to pull the looper forward.

The operation of the looper will be more fully described hereinafter.

II is a spring, one end of which is connected with the looper and theother with the yoke or frame E, so that when the treadle is released thespring will draw it back. A spring K may also be attachedto theconnectingrod K to insure the return of the treadle after it is releasedfrom the operators foot.

From the rear end of the treadle L a con necting-rod N extends angularlyupward and connects with the lower end of a verticallyslidableneedle-carrier 0, having a suitable guide P to insure its propermovement. This needle F moves upwardly through the table D and thefabric A, which is upon the table, and with such relation to the looperthat the latter will pass a projecting horn Q through the loop formed bythe needle. This horn has a slot or channel made in it, within which isfulcrumed a tilting arm R, having a hook shaped point B near the frontend.

Across the looper-guide G is fixed an arched piece S in such positionthat when the looper is drawn backward the upwardly-curved back of thearm R will engage this arch, and that will tilt the arm B, so as to liftthe point B, for the purpose to be now described.

The guide G has fixed to it two projecting spurs or guides T upon eachside of and below the line of travel of the horn Q. The yarn U isinserted over these points T, which serve as guides or supports, and ismoved back until it engages with the point B, this point projectingenough below the horn Q for that purpose. The horn Q will have openedthe needle-loop by its forward movement, as previously described, andwhen it is retracted the hook R will draw the yarn II backwardly throughthe needle-loop, and as the curved top of the arm R passes beneath thearch S it will be tilted, as previously described, so that the hook Rwill be released from the yarn U and allowed to move back, leaving theloop of the yarn thus formed passing through the loop of theneedle-thread. This latter is then drawn tight by the downwardmovementof the needle and the tension which is put upon theneedle-thread, and the loop is thus tied or completed, as shown in Fig.3. These yarn-loops are separated and regulated by means of fingers orteeth V of a comb, so called, which projects from the clampingbar 13,previously referred to, the needle passing up between these teethsuccessively. In order to advance the clamp, the comb, and the fabrictransversely, so as to present it for each reciprocation of the needleand to form the loops of the rugs successively, I have shown a rackhaving two sets of teeth IV and NV. One set of these teeth points in onedi rection and the other in the opposite direction.

X is a double-ended pawl suitably pivoted, as shown at Y, so that oneend of the pawl may be made to engage with the rack IV and the other endwith the rack WV. This rackbar is fixed to the clamp and carrier B, andthe pawl X is mounted upon a movable bar Z. This bar is actuated by abell-crank lever a, so as to be reciprocated, and when one point of thepawl engages the rack WV the clamp will be made to travel in onedirection by steps as the pawl engages the teeth successively. Whentilted so that the opposite end of the pawl engages the rack IV, theclamp will be moved in the opposite direction. This serves to feed theclamp and the rug across the table by steps which are equal to thespaces between the teeth V, because the teeth of the racks W V are ofthe same length as these spaces, and when the fabric has been carriedacross to one side and loops formed across it the pawl X may be reversedand the movement of the carrier Z, upon which it is mounted, willreverse the movement of the carriage and the fabric and return them tothe opposite side of the table while another set of loops is being putin by the needle and shuttle. The pawl has springs 19, which may beconnected with it. When the spring which is connected with one end ofthe pawl is so connected as to pull upon the pawl, it will act to engageone end of the pawl with one of the racks, and when the other end of thepawl is acted upon the opposite end will be engaged with its rack. Themovement of the pawl and its slide is effected by the movement of thetreadle L, which operates the needle-bar 0. This movement to advance inone direction is effected by connecting one of the arms of thebell-crank lever (L with a rod d, connecting it with the treadle or someintermediate portion. The advance in the opposite direction is effectedby connecting the rod 01 with the opposite arm 0, Fig. 2.

The needle-thread 6 passes through the eye of the needle F, leadingthrough and beneath the table, and thence along a channel 01, formed inthe table adjacent to the guidechannel G, and over a bobbin or spool gwith a suitable tension device. The thread is also made to carry aweight h at a point intermediate between the bobbin and the needle, soas to draw the thread up and tie the loop of the yarn U whenever thelatter has been drawn through the needle-thread, as previouslydescribed.

The operation of the machine will then be as follows: The carriage orclamp 13 being at one, side of the table, so that the edge of the fabricA which forms the base of the rug is presented to the needle F,thelooper is moved forward in its guide by pressing the foot upon thetreadle L, and the rear end of the treadle pushes the needle F upthrough the fabric the needle and its thread e. Now the yarn is fed overthe spurs T and under the hook R in horn Q, and when the pressure uponthe treadle is relieved the parts are returned to their normal positionby the action of the connected springs,and the horn,with its hook R,will be drawn backwardly, thus-drawing the yarn U through theneedle-thread in the form of a loop, and as the needle is withdrawn thetension upon the thread ewill cause it to bind the loop of the yarnwhich is thus left lying over a finger of the comb V and the surface ofthe fabric forming the base of the rug. These movements are continueduntil the rug has been moved across the table by the action of the pawland racks, when the rod d will be connected with the lever-arm c and thetension of the springs engaging the pawl will be changed, so that theopposite end of the pawl will engage its rack and the apparatus bereturned toward the other side, the mech anism operating as previouslydescribed. Before this movement takes place, however, the base or fabricA is advanced by loosening the holding-nuts B of the clamp B, so thatthe fabric A can be moved forward a distance equal to that which it isdesired to make between the rows of loops formed upon its so rface,after which it is again clamped in place, when the operation isproceeded with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a rug-making machine, thecombination of a table, having a guide or channel in its top, a clamp orcarrier, movable in said guide and adapted to hold the fabric of the rugwhile it is being moved across the table, a slotted yoke extendingtransversely across the table and forming a horizontal guide, a looperslidable in said slotted yoke, a feed mechanism, a needle-carrier havinga needle working upwardly through the fabric, a treadle and meansconnecting the opposite portions of the same with the looper andneedle-carrier respectively.

2. In a rug-making machine, the combination of a table having alongitudinal guide or channel in its top, a clamp or carrier fitted toslide in said guide and adapted to hold the fabric of the rug while itis being moved across the table, a slotted yoke extending transverselyacross the table and forming a horizontal guide above the fabric, alooper slidable in the slotted yoke and having a horn which passesthrough the loop of the thread when the looper is advanced, a reversiblefeed mechanism, a needle-carrier having a needle working upwardlythrough the fabric, a treadle and means connecting the opposite portionsof the same with the looper and needle-carrier respectively.

3. In a rug-making machine, the combination of a channeled table, aclamp or carrier slidable therein and adapted to secure the rug-base, adouble oppositely-toothed rack fixed to the clamp or carrier and adoubleended pawl pivoted with relation to the rack so that the ends maybe made to engage with either one or the other of the racks, to move theclamp or carrier alternately to one side and the other of the table, aslide carrying said pawl, a treadle and intermediate mechanismconnecting it with the slide, a needlecarrier having a needle workingupwardly through the fabric, and connected with the treadle, a slottedyoke extending transversely across the table, a looper slidable in theyoke and having a horn which passes through the loop of theneedle-thread when the looper is advanced, a bell-crank lever mounted inthe yoke, a connection from one arm of said lever to the looper and aconnection from the other arm of the lever to the treadle.

4:. I11 a rug-making machine, a channeled table, a guide and clamp forholding the rug adapted to travel therein, a reversible reciproeatingmechanism whereby the rug is carried alternately to one side and theother of the table, fingers or comb-teeth projecting horizontallyfromthe front of the clamp above the fabric, a vertically-reciprocatingneedle adapted to move through the fabric and to carry a thread, atension apparatus whereby said thread is drawn taut, ahorizontallymovable looper having the horn which passes through the loopof the needle-thread when the looper is advanced, supporting-spurs uponwhich the horizontal yarn of the fabric is laid, and a tilting arm andhook pivoted within the horn, said hook adapted to engage the yarn anddraw it through the needle-thread when the looper is withdrawn, saidloop being tied by the needle-thread when the needle is withdrawnthrough the fabric.

5. In a rug-making machine, a slidablo clamp and carrier having teethprojecting forwardly therethro ugh and a mechanism by which it isreciprocated so as to present the spaces between the teeth successivelyto a vertically-movable thread-carrying needle, a horizontally-movablelooper, mechanism by which the needle-bar and the looper are connectedwith the opposite end of a treadle whereby the two are movable in unisonand a reversible feed mechanism connected with the same treadle so as tooperate in conjunction with the needle-bar and the looper.

6. In a rug-making machine, a channeled table, a rug clamp and carrierand mechanism whereby it is moved alternately to one side and the otherof the table, teeth projecting forwardly from the clamp above thefabric, a vertically-reciprocating needle movable through the fabric anda thread carried thereby, a tension device whereby the thread is drawndown and the needle is returned, a horizontallymovable looper having apro jecting horn, a tilting hooked arm f ulcrumed within said horn,supports for the horizontal yarn which is introduced upon the supportsand beneath the horn so as to be engaged by the hook when the looper isadvanced and withdrawn through the needle-loop when the looper isretracted, an arch S extending across the looper-guide adapted to engagethe hookarm and tilt it when retracted so as to disengage the hook fromthe arm and leave the yarnloop within the needle-loop.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

OLIVER RICE.

Vitnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, JEssIn O. Bnonm.

